1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a force multiplying arrangement that has particular utility where it is necessary to firmly lock in position delicately located or balanced equipment without the necessity of the rough application of torquing forces via the use of wrenches or other levers which would likely disturb the delicate balance or position of the equipment being locked.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Persons skilled in the art of elementary mechanic have long been aware of a group of devices commonly known as "simple machines: which achieve mechanical advantage basically via the translation of distance and force. The more common type of these "simple machines" are the fulcrumed lever, the inclined plane and a screw thread, the latter being a combination of a simple lever and inclined plane.
A common field that has effectively used "simple machines" is the clutching art. In its simplest form a clutch is a coupling used to connect and disconnect a driving and a driven part of a mechanism. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,964,479 issued Jan. 26, 1934, teaches the use of cooperating inclined planes in operative series relationship with a simple fulcrumed lever to sequentially create and release pressure on a plurality of engageable friction plates to thereby accomplish drive connect and disconnect. U.S. Pat. No. 2,140,619 issued Dec. 20, 1938, teaches a simple toggle lever sequentially cooperating with a pair of inclined planes to sequentially bring a plurality of discs into frictional engagement and thereby break and make power transmission. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 2,443,901 issued June 22, 1948, teaches in operative series relationship, a shipper lever, a first inclined plane and a ball and wedging cavity to again sequentially induce clutch engagement and disengagement.
It is interesting to note, however, that in all of these prior art arrangements, while there is still some force appreciation or multiplication, it is the primary purpose of these devices to merely change the direction of motion to induce clutch engagement and disengagement.